Drawing mechanism for spinning and roving frames



g- 21, 1951 E. c. GWALTNEY ET'AL 2,565,228

DRAWING MECHANISM FdR smmmqmn ROVING FRAMES Filed Sept. 5, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E. c. GWALTNEY ET AL 2,565,228 DRAWING MECHANISM FOR SPINNING AND ROVING FRAMES Aug. 21, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 5, 1948 Patented Aug. 21, 1951 DRAWING MECHANISM FOR SPINNING AND ROVING FRAMES Eugene C. Gwaltney, Biddeford Pool, and Gordon 0. Anderson, Saco, Maine, assignors to- Saco- Lowell Shops, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Maine Application September s, 1948, Serial No. 47,566

8 Claims. (01. 19-135) This invention relates to drawing mechanisms of the type used in spinning and roving frames.

The orthodox three-roll drawing system, which has been used in these machines from time out of mind, includes cap bars provided with slots in which the gudgeons of the top rolls rest, these slotted bars being intended to support the top rolls in accurate alignment with their respective cooperating bottom rolls. The top rolls customarily include two bosses or shells, depending upon the type of roll used, and each of the shells or bosses is covered with a cot or roll cover of some suitable form for contact with the sliver being drafted. Weighting pressure is applied to the reduced or neck portions of the rolls which connect the two bosses or roll sections.

Important objections to these constructions are the fact that lint and fiy accumulates on the gudgeons of the rolls, in the slots of the cap bars, and around the weighting saddles, thus making the matter of cleaning a difficult and time-consuming operation, and this has long been the situation existing practically throughout the textile industry. While the objections to it have been recognized, no remedy has been found sufficiently satisfactory to displace the well-known and time-honored system.

In any mechanism of this type a further problem is the matter of maintaining the top rolls in proper parallel alignment with their cooperating bottom rolls so that each top roll cover or cot will bear on the corresponding fluted section of its respective bottom roll for substantially the entire length of the cover, except insofar as that contact may be modified by the presence of the sliver being drafted. When this paralleled relationship is disturbed to such a degree that the top roll gets out of the plane passing through both its axis and that of the bottom roll, then the contact between the two rolls, which theoretically is approximately a line contact, becomes shortened, due to the shift from a parallel to an angular relationship. If this parallel relation is seriously disturbed, then the drafting operation becomes erratic, faulty, and highly unsatisfactory. In the orthodox drawing mechanisms of the type above referred to, this matter of proper alignment of each top roll with its bottom roll, so that the axes of the two rolls lie in the same plane, should be maintained by the mon to find that such accuracy. has not been maintained and misalignment has occurred.

The present invention deals particularly with the foregoing considerations and it aims to devise a thoroughly satisfactory solution for them. Stated m'bre specifically, the invention is directed to devising a drawing mechanism for spinning and roving frames in which the cap bars will be eliminated, the weighting and top roll supporting devices will be combined, and suitable provision will be made for maintaining the top rolls in proper alignment with their respective bottom rolls.

The nature of the invention will be readily understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view, mainly in vertical section, showing a drafting mechanism embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation, partly in section, of the top front roll of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the upper portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1 but with a close spacing of the front and rear rolls;

Fig. 4 is a view showing a detail of the mounting of the rear top roll illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing details of the fulcrum member and parts associated with it.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the construction there shown comprises bottom front and rear rolls 2 and 3, respectively, top rolls 4 and 5 cooperating with said respective bottom rolls to perform the drafting operation, and an intermediate control mechanism including a bottom roll 5 driving an apron 1, the latter, being guided over an apron bar 8 and held stretched by a tensioning roll III. This roll is controlled by the usual tension guide ll. Resting on the apron I is a top roll I2, weighted by a spring-tensioned hook [3. This specific organization of drafting elements is not of our invention and is here illustrated simply for convenience in disclosing a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The top rolls shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, with which the present invention is mainly concerned, consists of the front and rear drawing rolls 4 and 5. As best shown in Fig. 2, the front roll 4 comprises a roll housing l4 containing, in this particular form, two sets of needle bearings, one of which is shown at [5, supporting an arbor It on assume which are secured two roll bodies lI-l'l. They are set-screwed to the arbor so that they revolve therewith and each is covered with a cot it of some suitable form, thus providing two connected roll sections closely adJacent to each other and in coaxial relationship. Preferably thrust washers, one of which is shown at 20, are inserted between the opposite ends of the housing l4 and the respective roll bodies l1, and a packing 2! of felt, or the like, to hold a quantity of lubricant, is mounted in the space between the needle bearings.

It will be observed that the housing is of inverted T-shape and that the upwardly extending stem is drilled to fit freely on the end of a bar 22 which serves as a support for both the top rolls. A set-screw 23 secures the front roll housing I4 releasably on the forward end of this bar.

The rear roll 5 preferably is constructed in the same manner as the front roll and includes a housing I4 essentially like that of the front roll. This housing, however, is mounted on the bar 22 for limited rocking movement but is adjustable lengthwise of the bar.

The supporting bar 22 for the rolls is itself supported in a weighting arm 24 of a bell crank lever which is fulcrumed on a rod 25 mounted in bearings supported on a series of roll stands, like that shown at 26, so that the lever can be swung from its normal position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, into an upward inoperative position. The supporting connections between the bar 22 and arm 24 include a link 21, best shown in Fig. 2, slotted to receive a screw 28 by means of which it is fastened loosely to the forward end of the arm, this link also having a hole below the slot through which the bar 22 extends, the hole being materially larger than the bar as shown in Fig. 2. Thus the link 21, connecting together the arm and underlying bar, by reason of its slot and/or enlarged hole at the lower end thereof, permits either or both rocking and lateral movement of the bar, as well as serving, where necessary or desired, to lift the bar with its associated top rolls by means of the arm when the latter is elevated. At its rearward end the bar is secured to the arm somewhat loosely, as will later be described, by means of a pin 30, Fig. 1.

In this particular construction the weighting pressure is applied to the arm 24 in a manner disclosed in a pending application filed Jointly by one of these applicants with another, which application has since led to Patent No. 2,525,647. It comprises a toggle mechanism including a link 3i pivoted on the bar 32 and a second link 32, in the form of a bolt, which is threaded through a middle pivot 34 connecting the two links. A stron leaf spring 35 bears against the end of the link 22; is fastened at its opposite end to the lever by the pin 36; and is tensioned by a screw 31 bearing against an intermediate part of the spring. Secured rigidly to the link 3! is the lower curved end 38 of an operating lever or arm 40, the upper end of which is located closely beside the rearward part of the weighting arm 24. Consequently,if the lever 40 is pushed backward, the link II will be swung downwardly about the stationary pivot 32, carrying the middle pivot 84 with it, thus breaking the toggle in a downward direction and releasing the pressure which the spring 25 exerts on the lower end of the bell crank lever. The arm 24 may then be lifted, swinging about the fulcrum 25 and carrying the top rolls 4 and I up with it. By swinging the arm 24 downwardly the parts may be returned to their normal positions and then locked there by pulling the upper end of the lever 4. forward. This straightens the toggle against thev spring 2! and applies pressure through the screw 21 to the upright arm 24' of the bell crank lever, thus forcing the arm 24 downwardly and applying weighting pressure to both the to rolls 4 and 5.

Transmission of this pressure from the arm 24 to the top rolls takes place through a fulcrum member 4|, Fig. 1, preferably made in the form of a roll. supported on needle bearings B, Fig. 5, on the bar 22. Distribution of this pressure between the rolls 4 and I can be varied by adJusting this fulcrum lengthwise of the bar 22. For this purpose a collar 42, Figs. 2, 4 and 5, is slidably mounted on the bar 22 and can be locked in any ad- Justed position by the set screw 42 shown in its proper position in Fig. 3 and in an abnormal position in Fig. 1. This collar has an interlocking connection with the fulcrum 4| which compels the latter to move longitudinally of the bar with the collar but permits the fulcrum roll 4i to rotate relatively to the collar.

While, as above indicated, some features of the general organization of this weighting mechanism are not new with these applicants, and therefore are not claimed in this application, the association of the arm 24 of the lever 24--24' with the bar 22 and the mounting of the top rolls, as above described, is new with these applicants. This arrangement avoids completely any necessity for using cap bars because the top rolls are supported entirely by their holders which, in turn, are mounted on the bar 22 carried by the arm 24.

Some freedom of movement of each top roll in the plane passing through its axis and that of its respective bottom roll is necessary in order to enable both cots to bear equally on the two strands of sliver which customarily are fed simultaneously between the two top roll sections and their respective bottom roll sections. Provision for this rocking movement of the rear roll 5 is made by permitting its roll holder [4 to rock freely, but through a limited angle, around the bar 22. For this purpose the holder I4 is connected to the bar 22 by parts 42 and 42', similar to the parts 42 and 42. At the front roll its holder I4 is secured rigidly to the bar 22 by the setscrew 23, but this bar has a limited freedom of rocking movement around its own axis by virtue of the ball section a, Fig. 1, of the pivot pin 30, this section fitting rather loosely in the cylindrical hole formed through the rearward end of the bar.

Thus both top rolls can rock around the axis of the bar 22 to adjust themselves evenly to their respective bottom rolls and to equalize the pressure of both cots of each top roll on the bosses of its bottom roll. However, the unique mounting of the bar 22 is provided not only forthe purpose just described but, more importantly. in order to enable the top rolls automatically to remain in proper alignment with their respective bottom rolls. That is, we have found that if the top rolls are misaligned with reference to their bottom rolls, such misalignment will correct itself automatically if the mounting of the top rolls is such as to permit such correction. It is for this selfaligning purpose that the pivotal connection has been provided between the bar 22 and the pivot pin 30 at the rearward end of the bar. While this construction permits the forward end of the bar to swing laterally far enough to carry the front top roll 4 out of alignment with its bottom roll 2, it also permits it to swing back again into correct alignment, and the action of one roll on the other tends'to maintain them automatically in properly aligned relationship. If, for example, the top roll is deliberately misall ned by swinging it transversely out of the plane common to the axesof the two rolls while the machine is running, the interaction of one roll on the other will restore the top roll to its correctly aligned relationship to the bottom roll.

This invention, therefore, provides a drawing mechanism for spinning and roving frames in which the cap bars are eliminated, the weighting correctly aligned than the rear top roll because it revolves much faster and therefore feeds the sliver at a, higher speed. Also, the grist is much heavier under the rear roll. However, in the arrangement shown the front roll also controls the alignment of the rear top roll. A slight overlap or overhang of the front top roll with reference to its bottom roll also is helpful in producing the self-aligning operation above described. That is, it is positioned slightly forward of the plane in which lies the axis of the bottom roll 2 and which is normal to the plane of the bites of the front and rear rolls.

Adjustment of the top roll 5 into cooperative relationship to its bottom roll 3 to accommodate a different length of staple is easily accomplished by loosening the set screw 43, Fig. 3, sliding the holder l4 along the bar 22 into its new position, and then tightening the set screw again.

Preferably a scale bar 44, Figs. 1 and 6, is secured to the lower margin of the weight arm 24, this bar being graduated to show the distance between the transverse median plane of the fulcrum roll 4| and that of the corresponding plane of the front rolls 2 and 4 which passes through the bite of the latter rolls. Accordingly, the scale saves time in making adjustments of the fulcrum roll into the desired relationship to the front and rear top rolls.

While we have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of our invention, it will be evident that the invention may be embodied in other 'forms, and may be applied to drawin mechanisms differing from that shown, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we desire to claim as new is:

1. In a drawing mechanism for spinning and roving frames, the combination with a plurality of pairs of top and bottom drawing rolls positioned to act successively on a sliver, a weighting arm mounted for swinging movements in a vertical plane toward and from a position overlying said bottom rolls, a bar supported in a generally paral: lel relationship to said arm, a member loosely connecting together the forward end of said bar with said arm, a plurality of holders mounted on said bar and supporting said respective top rolls, means operable on said arm to apply roll weighting pressure to it, and a fulcrum member interposed between said arm and said bar for transmitting the pressure of said arm through said bar to said top rolls.

2. In a drawing mechanism for spinning and roving frames, the combination with a plurality of pairs of top and bottom drawing rolls positioned to act successively on a silver, a weighting arm mounted for swinging movements in a vertical plane toward and from a position overlying said bottom rolls, a bar supported in a generally parallel relationship to said arm, said bar being mounted for lateral movement with respect to said arm, a plurality of holders mounted on said bar and supporting said respective top rolls, means operable on said arm to apply roll weighting pressure to it, and a fulcrum member interposed between said arm and said bar for transmitting the pressure of said arm through said bar to said top rolls.

3. In a drawing mechanism for spinning and roving frames, the combination with a plurality of pairs of top and bottom drawing rolls positioned to act successively on a sliver, a weighting arm mounted for swinging movements in a vertical plane toward and from a position overlying said bottom rolls. a bar supported in a generally parallel relationship to said arm, a member loosely connecting together the forward end of said bar with said arm, a plurality of holders mounted on'said bar and supporting said respective top rolls, means operable on said arm to apply roll weighting pressure to it. and a fulcrum member interposed between said arm and said bar for transmitting the pressure of said arm'through said bar to said top rolls, said fulcrum .member being adjustable longitudinally of said bar to vary the distribution of the weighting pressure between said top rolls.

4. In a drawing mechanism for spinning and roving frames, the combination with a plurality of pairs of top and bottom drawing rolls positioned to act successively on a silver, a weighting arm mounted for swinging movements in a vertical plane toward and from a position overlying said bottom rolls, a bar supported in a generally parallel relationship to said arm, said bar being mounted for lateral movement with respect to said arm, a plurality of holders mounted on said bar and supporting said respective top rolls, means operable on said arm to apply roll weighting-pressure to it, and a fulcrum member interposed between said arm and said bar for transmitting the pressure of said arm through said bar to said top rolls, said fulcrum member being adjustable longitudinally of said bar to vary the distribution of the weighting pressure between said top rolls.

5. In a drawing mechanism as set forth in claim 2 wherein each of said holders provides a. bearing for, and located between, coaxial closely adjacent connected roll sections of a top roll.

6. In a drawing mechanism as set forth in claim 2 wherein at least one of said top rolls is mounted for relative movement about the axis of said bar.

7. In a drawing mechanism as set forth in claim 2 wherein said fulcrum is a roll mounted for rotative movement with respect to said bar.

8. In a drawing mechanism for spinning and roving frames, the combination with a plurality of pairs of top and bottom drawing rolls positioned to act successively on a sliver, a. weighting arm mounted for swinging movements in a vertical plane toward and from a position overlying said bottom rolls, a bar supported in a generally parallel relationship to said arm, said bar b61118 'pivotally mounted for lateral movement with reon said arm to apply roll weizhtinz pressure to it. s

and a fulcrum member interposed between said am and said bar for transmitting the pressure of said arm through said bar and holders to said front and rear top rolls, said fulcrum being adiustable longitudinally with respect to said bar to vary the distribution of the weiflhtinc preuure between said holders.

EUGENEC. GWALTN'EY. GORDON C. ANDERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of-this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,396,122 Johnson Nov. 8, 1921 2,246,474 Btahlecker June 17. 1941 2,326,979 Btahleoker July 17, 1943 2,353,338 Hess July 11, 1944 L 2,525,647 Bumham et a1 Oct. 10, 1950 roman PATENTS Num "i Country Date 6,125 Great Britain of 1893 871,451 France Apr. 2'1, 1942 

